"Impediment" is a noun that means "a hindrance or obstruction in doing something," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "obstruction." "Tool" cannot be the correct answer, then, because while one might use a tool to remove an obstruction, "tool" does not mean the same thing as "obstruction," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Obstacle," however, is an adjective that means "a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress," and because it is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "impediment," "obstacle" is the correct answer.

"Pandemonium" is a noun meaning "wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "wild disorder." "Pandemic" may sound like a potentially correct answer because like "pandemonium," it also begins with the "pan-" prefix (which means "including or relating to all the places or people in a particular group"). However, "pandemic" means "an outbreak of a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world." Because "pandemic" does not mean the same thing as "pandemonium," it cannot be the correct answer. "Mayhem," however, means "violent or damaging disorder; chaos," and is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "pandemonium."

"Upheaval" is a noun meaning "a violent or sudden change or disruption to something," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "disruption." While "occurrence" may seem like a good answer choice because it means "an incident or event," "disturbance" is actually the better answer because it means "the interruption of a settled and peaceful condition." Because both "upheaval" and "disturbance" involve interruptions, but "occurrence" does not, "disturbance" is the correct answer.

The term "disparity" refers to a difference or gap with respect to some quality. For example, if one room contains a large group of third-graders and a neighboring room contains several elderly adults, an age disparity exists between the rooms. "Difference" is the correct choice. "Similarity" is an antonym of the given word, "victory" refers to an event of winning and is therefore unrelated, and "congeniality" means pleasant or friendly agreement.

"Genre" is a noun that means "a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter." While books and songs may be categorized as belonging to different genres of literature or music, neither "book" nor "song" is a synonym of "genre," so neither of those answers can be correct. "Category" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "genre," so it is the correct answer.

A paradox is "a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory." So, neither "agreement" nor "consistency" can be a synonym of "paradox" becauase both "agreement" and "consistency" refer to things that go together well or make sense together, unlike paradoxes. "Allusion" refers to "an indirect or passing reference," so it has nothing to do with "paradox" and isn't the correct answer. "Confusion" might look like the best answer, but "contradiction" is actually the closest synonym to "paradox" because "contradiction" is defined as "a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another" or "a difference or disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true." Because "contradiction" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "paradox," "contradiction" is the correct answer.

"Rancor" is a noun that means "bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long-standing." While "teasing" and "anger" both have negative connotations similar to that of "rancor," only "resentment," which means "bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly," is close in meaning to "rancor," so "resentment" is the correct answer.

"Hiatus" is a noun that means "a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "a pause or gap." "Continuation," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "continuation" means "the action of carrying something on over a period of time or the process of being carried on," making it an antonym of "hiatus." "Break," however, when used as a noun, can mean "a pause in work or during an activity or event," and because "break" is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "hiatus," "break" is the correct answer.

"Gratification" is a noun that can mean either "pleasure, especially when gained from the satisfaction of a desire" or "a source of pleasure." So, we need to pick out a noun that means something like "pleasure." "Disappointment," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "disappointment" means either "the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations" or "a person, event, or thing that causes disappointment," making"disappointment" an antonym, not a synonym, of "gratification." "Satisfaction," however, is a noun that means "fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this," and because "satisfaction" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "gratification," "satisfaction" is the correct answer.

"Clarification" is a noun that means "the action of making a statement or situation less confused and more comprehensible" or "a statement resulting from this." So, we need to pick out a noun that means something like "the action of making something more comprehensible." So, that means that "complication" cannot be the correct answer, because "complication" can mean "a circumstance that complicates something; a difficulty" or "an involved or confused condition or state," but not "the action of making something more comprehensible." "Explanation," however, is a noun that means either "a statement or account that makes something clear" or "a reason or justification given for an action or belief." Because "explanation" is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "clarification," "explanation" is the correct answer.